


Breathe Into Me (Part One of a Two-Part One-Shot)

by Im_McShook



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aquariums, Catch me crying in the club with that Keith Loves Hippos headcannon, First Meetings, Fluff, Hunk is mentioned but doesn't show up, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance tries to throw himself into a relationship quiCKLY, M/M, Shallura is implied, There's a little scare near the end but other than that it's just fluff, i don't even know what to tag, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 19:37:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13394802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Im_McShook/pseuds/Im_McShook
Summary: "You seem to really like dolphins, are they your favorite?" Lance piped up, stepping into view as the other male jumped in surprise, swiveling around with a terrified look, thick eyebrows disappearing beneath black fringe. Truthfully, Lance didn't mean to scare the poor guy, but he wouldn't say he was exactly sorry about it; It actually made the other look even cuter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you" He apologized, coming to a halt beside the stranger, smile widening in silent hospitality. Dark brows finally emerged from hiding, the eyes beneath blinking furiously to a nervous mantra, "Hippos".Confusion etched its way on the Cuban's face, nose twitching at the statement and overpowering smell of something sweet, it must have been the boy's cologne. "Hippos are my favorite animal" He muttered, staring at the floor with jittery fingers, feet shuffling awkwardly with the interaction. A moment passed, then another, all leading up to an embarrassing giggle that Lance would later deny, his body lurching with the absolutely adorable news. The once nervous male suddenly became hostile, head swiveling sideways to send a glare, lips thinning into a line, "What?!".





	Breathe Into Me (Part One of a Two-Part One-Shot)

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of a two-part collection of one-shots. Part two will be posted almost immediately after part one since I've already written them out. I hope you enjoy this! I honestly think the second part is better, I'm not happy with how this one turned out but I tried. 
> 
> (This is unedited so it may contain errors)

Lance had been working at his local aquarium for no more than a month, now that may seem like a lot of time working, but the humongous building had three floors of mesmerizing aquatic animals that Lance had even yet to meet. So the moment Allura assigned him to walk around and explain random facts about said animals he was a little skeptical and anxious; either way, the Cuban was still stuck on patrol duty all because half the staff called in sick.

"What happens if I don't know anything about it?" Lance had asked, pushing a bucket of sardines toward Hunk so the man could feed the eels. Allura simply scoffed in response, white hair bouncing every time she attempted to scoop out a rather slippery clown fish that clearly had no desire to be placed within another tank, "You make something up".

Now Lance wasn't exactly the greatest liar, but once Allura commanded something there was no way out, she reminded him of an Angler Fish, luring in her victims just to swallow them up in the end. Okay, bad analogy but you get the point. 

So that leads to the present moment, a nearly empty building with Allura greeting newcomers while Lance simply stood off in the corner like a creep, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone that even seemed curious. Slight murmuring accompanied with the whirring of fluorescent lights and running filters buzzed off every wall, annoying the boy to absolutely no end, not to mention the sudden and unexpected screams of small children. 

Blue eyes shifted over to look at a tank full of small crustaceans and gangly coral with a bland expression, eyeing down a small starfish being harassed by a nearby anemone, which would probably be the only movement within that tank for the rest of the day. Suddenly, a small crab scuttled by on small legs, claws picking in the sand before shoving them greedily to its mouth, beady eyes shifting to and fro. 

Before Lance could initiate a staring contest with the minuscule crustacean, a nearby child suddenly ran over, plastering her face against the glass with a piercing gasp. "Mommy! I found the amenemonies" She cooed, botching the last word so bad that a nearby employee flinched slightly, resisting the urge to correct the small child. Swooping in a moment later was none other than the parental unit, pixie cut hair frazzled with clear frustration, "Ada, I told you not to run off like that, come on". Ada sighed reluctantly, prying her cheek off the thick glass with a sticky sound, round circle of red imprinting her pale skin, sparing one more wave backwards to the tank before skipping off. 

It was clear in the way the woman held her posture that she was a single mother, pulling the girl around with an exhausted expression all while seemingly entertaining her daughter. Lance knew the toll in which single parenthood could inflict; after all, his own mom was left by his father with seven mouths to feed, she managed to uphold the order but it was clear she was suffering. That was one of the reasons why Lance had snatched this job in the first place, to help out his family and, hopefully, pay for his tuition fees and go to college. 

Ever since he brought in that first paycheck things had been improving, his mother's eyes brighten more and more day by day from their original sunken in state, his siblings weren't as snippy and moody, even the atmosphere changed to a hopeful light. No matter what he had to go through, the teen wanted what was best for his family, so that was what he did. 

His thoughts were pushed away by a faint chime, signaling that someone had walked through the front doors, an anomaly it seemed as of today. Allura quickly bounced off the front desk in favor of providing the newcomer with a map, chatting him up for a moment before allowing him through. Lance nearly choked, eyes glued solely on the stranger who seemed to have the fashion sense of a punk rock album but the hair of an 80's biker, ripped black skinny jeans tucked neatly in a set of tan colored boots that squeaked noisily on the freshly waxed floor. Violet eyes uneasily assessed the area, slowly melting into wonder as clenched hands began to slip out of a flannel, band shirt underneath rumpling slightly with the action. 

If Lance wasn't surprised before he definitely was now, lips quirking into a smile as fingerless gloves came into view, coming up to run through a black mullet, making a slight snort come from his secret assessor. Silently, the blue eyed male gazed on haphazardly, watching the customer with no other means of entertainment, back leaning into a wall in a relaxed position. Pale fingers reached out to touch a nearby aquarium, scaring away a school of multicolored exotic fish in surprise, body jumping slightly with tightly pinched shoulders. It was clear in the uneasy movements and unrestrained awe that this individual had never stepped foot within an aquarium, hell, it looked like he'd never stepped foot in the sunlight. 

Don't get Lance wrong, he found the newcomer extremely attractive, he was by far the most appealing specimen to step foot in the building actually, it was just the fact he was so pale. No matter the porcelain-like skin, the Cuban found it slightly endearing, that along with the way his cheeks flared up in embarrassment once witnessing two seahorses doing questionable things in a secluded tank. That small fact was something employees had gotten used to, witnessing two animals getting it on was just a normal occurrence that made feeding the enclosed specimens all the more awkward. Not to mention the incidents where a diver cleaning a tank was subject to being humped by a dolphin, your's truly had undergone that small hitch and was ridiculed for weeks, Pidge even had the nerve to comment, 'That was the closest he's ever gotten to being laid'. 

The fact he couldn't deny the claim made it even worse. 

Speaking of the dolphins, the beautiful stranger had finally stumbled upon the majestic (yet horny) mammals with newfound wonder, eyes widening with delight. Tense shoulders seemed to relax exponentially, features softening as the comforting clicks and squeals echoed past thick plexiglass and towards the awaiting human. Curiously, Lance blatantly stared, watching as the hulking forms approached with long snouts permanently set in a goofy grin, letting out soft ticks. Ever so slowly, the boy began to raise his hand, fingers shaking slightly as they were pressed against the barrier between, soft smile resting along his features. 

"You seem to really like dolphins, are they your favorite?" Lance piped up, stepping into view as the other male jumped in surprise, swiveling around with a terrified look, thick eyebrows disappearing beneath black fringe. Truthfully, Lance didn't mean to scare the poor guy, but he wouldn't say he was exactly sorry about it; It actually made the other look even cuter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you" He apologized, coming to a halt beside the stranger, smile widening in silent hospitality. Dark brows finally emerged from hiding, the eyes beneath blinking furiously to a nervous mantra, "Hippos". 

Confusion etched its way on the Cuban's face, nose twitching at the statement and overpowering smell of something sweet, it must have been the boy's cologne. "Hippos are my favorite animal" He muttered, staring at the floor with jittery fingers, feet shuffling awkwardly with the interaction. A moment passed, then another, all leading up to an embarrassing giggle that Lance would later deny, his body lurching with the absolutely adorable news. The once nervous male suddenly became hostile, head swiveling sideways to send a glare, lips thinning into a line, "What?!". 

Tan hands waved frantically, giggling still filling the nearly empty building as it echoed off every wall, "Nothing! I'm just surprised is all". The hostility from before melted away, forming into an embarrassed blush, his arms folding over one another as if to hide his obvious mistake.

"My favorite are Sharks" Lance offered, catching the eyes of the other as they glanced sideways, black hair falling slightly over defined cheekbone. "Sharks are cool, but Hippos are still better" He argued, playful smile quirking the edge of his lips in silent competition, fully facing the employee with utmost confidence. Lance had a feeling he was trying to look intimidating, but from his point of view it looked more cute than scary, especially the cocked head and hip pop. What can he say, he's a man of good taste. 

Something akin to a snort escaped the tan boy's nose, eyeing the dolphins ahead as if they could settle the lighthearted argument, "We don't have hippos, but we do have sharks, come on and I'll show them to you, Mullet". Insulted scoffs resonated from behind, Lance walking away with a smug grin and unusually peppy steps, knowing exactly where the biggest tank in the aquarium was. 

For a few moments it seemed as if the stranger had gotten insulted by the little comment and walked away, but the heavy footfalls of Timberlands on tile flooring proved otherwise, their owner coming to a slow walk once caught up. Allura had stated he was supposed to give facts towards customers, but she never said where he could give those facts, so he figured it would be fine to leave his post for a little while as long as he was still doing his job.

"I'll have you know I like my hair" The boy scoffed, gloved hand coming up to self-consciously pat down the strands at his part, small pout painting his pale complexion. A small 'Wow' was spared from Lance at the comment, entering a code at a nearby door in order to take an employee shortcut, wanting to slip all the loud narrating that happened whenever someone entered a room. Hunk had insisted on doing so, saying that people wanted to know what they were looking at and that installing speakers would help the experience, it just ended up scaring the fish and annoying every damn employee in the place. 

"Am I allowed through here? I mean, I don't even know your name, yet here we are, about to walk through a dark corridor together" Pretty boy stated, staring into the opened doorway with slight anxiety and excitement, struggling to see within its abnormally dark space. A frustrated whine echoed down the confined hallway, tan hand slipping off the keypad in which it was previously resting against, instead being offered for a handshake, "Lance McClain". 

Violet eyes flickered down for a moment, eyeing the offered hand with an unreadable expression, worrying the Cuban slightly. "Keith Kogane" He finally spoke, giving a small smile as he grasped Lance's hand within his own, face practically beaming. Smugly, Lance intertwined his fingers within Keith's, not giving the other a moment to speak before pulling him down the hallway, blindly sprinting in the dark. 

Now, he had been warned multiple times by his mother that running in the dark was a bad idea, especially if you weren't familiar with what was around, but he did it anyway as a kid and never suffered so much as a bruise. Now seemed to be an exception, one foot slamming into something solid and unmoving, probably a box they stored for a later day, stumbling like a fool in front of an attractive guy. Thankfully, he managed to grab ahold to the wall at his side in time to escape the fall, awkwardly stumbling to a halt with choppy laughter.

"Are you okay?" Keith whispered, something unnecessary since literally nobody else was nearby to hear them; however, what made Lance really freeze was how close the other was, warm breath making his eyelashes flutter. He was now acutely aware of the equally warm hand still clasped within his own, sweating slightly at the combined body heat, making the hairs along his neck bristle. "I'm fine, let's just...hurry up" He choked out, yanking his hand away before bolting away, slamming the limb into his forehead to try and hide his red face, unnecessary since the corridor was pitch black. 

Shaky yelling echoed behind him, getting closer as his feet finally got to the staircase, climbing the steps two at a time, literally flinging himself at the door at the top. By the time he finally emerged from the stuffy hallway, Keith was still climbing the steps, boots making loud thumping noises with each step. "You left me in there!" He yelled once finally making it out the door himself, panting slightly with all the cardio he had just undergone, eyes wide and unnerving after being abandoned in an unfamiliar place. 

Lance kept his face forward, wishing away the burning heat in his cheeks with mental praying, "Sorry, it was really hot in there". Technically he wasn't lying, the hallway was indeed very humid, but he had been warm for another reason. Before an argument or intense discussion could be initiated, Lance ushered the other down yet another corridor, leading him towards the shark enclosure. 

There was something truly magnificent and relaxing about this certain spot, and that was the fact the entire room was an aquarium. Once entered you were immersed fully in the tank, the only thing separating you from the hunters all around being a barrier of plexiglass, water above, beside, and underneath you. At times he would sneak in here after closing time and just sit in the long tube, laying on his back as the agile bodies above twisted and raced around without a single care, relaxing with the cool water bubbling beneath him against the glass. 

"Before we go in, do you have a phobia of drowning or tight spaces?" Lance asked, stepping backwards as one foot entered the tube, smiling once Keith gave a curt shake of his head. "Well, come on" He announced, hand slapping against a button that would light up the entire entryway, squinting slightly at the abnormally bright bulbs. Lance stepped inside with a flamboyant spin, walking carefully along the glass as to not disturb the carnivorous mammals, stopping once far enough from the entryway. 

"Wow" Keith whispered, alerting his guide to turn around, eyeing the ravenette just as a small black tip swam by. Blue light reflected off the boy's pale skin, unsteady hand reaching out towards the hunter in wonder, smiling widely once it brushed against the glass behind his fingers. "I always come here after closing time to relax" Lance spoke, nervously sliding closer to the other as more sharks came into sight, hand coming to gently grab ahold to bare wrist. Slowly, he guided the appendage outwards and up, thumb bumping one pointer finger to make it extend towards the outside water, "Look right there, she's my favorite". 

Violet eyes squinted slightly in regard to the distance the animal was currently floating in, cheeks burning a deep crimson at the close interaction. Off in the distance, there was a small Reef Shark, its white tipped fin barely visible behind a shockingly large piece of coral, snout pointing out nervously as other sharks swam by. Methodically, Lance tapped a tune against the thick glass in front of him, watching with humor as the small animal suddenly shot out at a quick speed, immediately swimming towards the two awaiting people with quick tail strokes. 

Due to her skin being a shade bluer than the rest of the others, the Cuban had decided to call her Blue, she was by far the shyest of the population and rarely emerged for onlookers to get a glance at. So once the hermit-like mammal emerged one day as he was cleaning the tube, he instantly fell in love and claimed the shark as his own, forming a bond through sneaked snacks and even playing games through the thick barrier between. "Hello baby" Lance cooed, resting his palm against the glass as the aforementioned animal bumped her nose against it, beady eyes flickering around with recognition. 

From nearby, Keith made a small gasping sound, staring ahead with a small glint behind his eyes, "She can understand you?". A humorous nod was spared, Lance turning around from his previous action to acknowledge the other beautiful creature in the room, "No, but she knows". Smiling lips twitched for a moment, forming into the first toothy grin the employee has seen from the boy thus far, making him stutter in his calm demeanor with a small stumble. 

Blue apparently didn't enjoy the loud vibration, turning tail with a flick of her head and bolting away from the tube, shooting past her brethren without even stopping. Upturned lips quickly formed into a pout, thick brows following the action with haste, "We scared her". In that moment, Lance undoubtedly knew he was totally fucked, he was truthfully into this boy that saved his shift from being the single most boring moment of his life. 

The next words would most likely be regretted later, especially since it was past closing time and they should really get going, but Lance was a lovesick fool after all, "Do you want to pet a dolphin?". Excitement mixed with worry was all the answer he received, Keith glancing at a nearby  speaker that began alerting remaining customers that it was closing time and that they must leave. Lance methodically grabbed the boy's hand, giving a flirtatious wink, "Don't worry, I can't sneak you in, after all, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't show the prettiest boy I've ever seen the best part of the tour?". Pale cheeks darkened to the shade of an apple, looking away slightly to give a grumble and small nod, signaling he was okay with going wherever the dolphins were. 

This trip was much less longer and uncomfortable for the duo, Lance actually keeping his footing this time and Keith actually speaking instead of whispering as if they were about to be caught. Along the way the Cuban even got to slip in a few pick-up lines, his confidence coming back full swing in order to amp up the charm, each bashful reaction only adding fuel to the fire. By the time they reached the interaction room, Keith had assumed a full body blush, the reason behind his rosy cheeks standing nearby with a Cheshire grin. 

"Alright, time for the best part of your day" Lance announced, one hand resting on the door handle with a flamboyant twist of the wrist, giving a quick eyebrow waggle for good measures. Scoffs emerged from Keith, skin finally returning to its original pale complexion after being released from the obvious flirting, "Better keep your word, Loverboy Lance". 

The pet name was both quick and unexpected, causing for a stutter in the employee's motion of opening the door, being brushed past with a small grin. Lance couldn't complain, after all, his mother always said Karma was a bitch; the tables have most certainly turned. "I'm boned" He chuckled, walking into the cool room that smelled strangely of fish guts, Hunk must have forgotten to net out the carcasses that the mammals left unfinished. Based upon the strange gagging noise nearby, he assumed his assumptions were true, emerging from a corner to see Keith lightly kicked away a small fish head. 

"One of them threw it at me!" He sputtered, pointing an extended fingers towards the awaiting pool, eyeing one of the animals as they gave excited squeals and clicks. Despite the negative reaction, Lance gave a big smile, arm being thrown along clothed shoulder, "That means they like you, they are sharing food!". 

A dubious look assumed the ravenette's lips, glancing back and forth between the dolphins and half-eaten fish as if Lance was seriously trying to con him into something. The Cuban simply ignored the unspoken accusation in stride, cooing towards one of the slick mammals with baby talk that most likely made him look even more stupid.

"One question, how am I supposed to get in water that deep with jeans on?" Keith asked, noticeably giving the large tank a once over and simultaneously himself, hands coming to mess with the hem of his shirt, pulling loose threads hard enough to unravel the neatly woven material. Lance seemed to mull it over, giving himself a small slap to the head and degrading comment, sliding off his shoes near the tank in one quick motion before sprinting off. Sputtering followed his retreating form, Keith standing in place before yelling, "Don't run! You'll slip!". 

A cocky grin was thrown backwards along with a flirty wink, long legs sliding gracefully into a nearby tub with the amount of momentum. "I have swimming trunks in here for when I want to interact as well" He stated aloud, shuffling around for a minute before looking over at the boy nearby, giving him a come hither motion. Skeptically, the ravenette complied, carefully stepping along wet tile to keep from slipping and sliding himself, shoving a knee into the lanky boy's side purposefully. Something along the lines of a yelp echoed from within the bin, head coming up quickly only to slam it into the large container, blue eyes squinting dangerously at the laughing Korean.

"Come here so I can measure your waist size" Lance snorted, trying and failing to ignore the adorable laughter rumbling at his side, instead grabbing a dark belt loop in his hooked fingers. The room went awkwardly quiet, both hands now placed on Keith's hips with a gentle grasp, Lance cleared his throat and spoke with a red face, "I don't have my measuring tape with me so I'll just have to compare our waist sizes and hope for the best". Black hair bobbed slightly with a nod, face hidden behind the dark fringe only enough to mask his eyes, leaving red cheeks and a smiling mouth out in the open. 

Gently, the employee danced long fingers along tapered waistline, realizing he had a little more form and therefore had a slimmer waist, hips protruding in an hour glass shape that even a girl would be jealous of. Compared to his own body, which was lanky and iron board flat, Lance was an unshaped stick. 

"Your waistline is slimmer than mine so they might not fit as snug as you may like" He spoke, pulling out a pair of red swimming shorts before chucking them towards Keith, laughing quietly when he received a grumpy face in response. Both parted momentarily to get dressed in their own clothing, Lance sometimes kicking at the other's feet in the dressing room beside his, earning a harder swing in response. 

Moments passed which turned into minutes, Lance patiently waiting for Keith to emerge, well, patiently wasn't exactly the correct term. "Chop chop princess, I say we have an hour before Allura gets suspicious and starts hunting me down" He called, grabbing a nearby cleaning net to clean out any more small corpses left behind, blue swim shorts making a sound with every step. By the time the dressing room door finally swung open, the water was pristine and the dolphins were becoming quite antsy, begging for attention by splashing water at the awaiting Cuban. 

"It's kind of loose---" Keith spoke, alerting the other male's attention as he rose up, swiveling around with a cocky smirk and crude joke on his tongue. However, both were lost in the air once his eyes landed upon the amount of pale skin being shown, taking a deep inhale. Lance's previous assumption based on Keith's body proportions was in fact true, he had a tapered waist that sloped down softly into adjoining hips, skin a cream color with a small birthmark just beside his navel that was a shade darker than his skin. By far the most adorable thing the boy could find was how the trunks fit him, they were in fact quite loose, the fabric sagging and drooping to show a little more skin than what Lance could handle, having to look away once his eyes trailed a little lower than appropriate.

"They should be fine" He muttered, looking away slightly in order to hide his burning cheeks, instead beginning to wade in the water that steadily grew deeper the more you walked in. When he was almost three feet away and still couldn't hear the sound of somebody coming in after him, he looked backwards, eyeing the nervous look Keith was trying desperately to mask. A small smile stretched along his mouth at the other, tan hand being offered outwards to try and encourage the boy in, "Don't be shy, they're friendly". 

As if on cue, one of the dolphins swam up and brushed into Lance's thigh, chirping happily as it nosed the other limb dangling at his side, desperately wanting to be pet. Uneasily, a pale hand grasped his own, feet stepping into the water at a very slow pace that only emphasized the previous nervousness, cringing as the water finally reached mid-thigh and he was standing directly in front of Lance.

"See? lets go a little deeper and I'll introduce you to them" The Cuban smiled, still grasping the hand within his own as Keith gave a nod, both wading deeper and deeper until their were at waist level in clear water. Tan hands patted the water and two dolphins suddenly raced forward, squeaking at a frequency one could barely hear, nearly knocking Lance over as they weaved between his legs and bumped affectionately into his hip. The one called Zerces noticeably took a liking to Keith, swimming over gently before bumping her nose into his hand, sinking into the water and blowing bubbles once the hand in return touched her head, eliciting a giggle from the ravenette in return.

"That is Zerces, she's the female we found caught in a fishing net two years ago, this one is Atticus, he's Zerces's first born, he was born after we brought Zerces here only to find she was pregnant" Lance explained, dipping his arms in the water to cradle Atticus to his stomach, watching the bottlenose open his mouth and snap it shut in delight. A small nod showed Keith was listening, giving Zerces a weird look when she nudged her snout between his knees, pushing lightly but hard enough to make him stumble a little; however, he couldn't ignore it when suddenly her snout was being shoved between his thighs, giving a squeaky sound before stumbling into Lance. Both hands slapped onto each shoulder, floating on his stomach as Zerces gave happy chirps and began swimming around them, Atticus swimming away once disturbed. 

Laughter bubbled in the employee's throat, grabbing onto the boy's elbows gently as the hands on his shoulders twitched slightly, one hand slipped off an elbow to place on pale lower back, pushing him down and back into the water, "That's her way of showing she wants to give you a ride". Confusion bloomed along the other's cheeks, warily watching the dolphins play with each other and even slap the water loudly with a dorsal fin, returning to look ahead. 

"Zerces! Come here!" Lance called, tucking his tongue against the back of his teeth to give a shrill whistle, successfully calling the female over as she gave annoyed ticks. "I'm going to pick you up underneath the legs okay? I have to place you on her correctly to keep from damaging her spine and blocking her blowhole" He explained, watching as Keith's face paled and shifted into a look of anxiety again, hesitant on the idea of riding a dolphin. 

Zerces understood what was going on and gave a comforting trill, brushing lightly against the boy's leg while closing her eyes, moving away to float atop the water in her usual mounting position. Violet eyes seemed to relax and melt at the mammal, looking over at Lance before giving a slight nod, wading closer as only three inches or so separated their chests.

"Ready?" He asked, waiting for a nod before squatting down in the water a little, going to about his chest before lightly grabbing the back of Keith's knees, raising up to keep the other from going under due to his knees being collapsed. Tan hands pulled towards himself and felt arms lock firmly around his neck, stalling until they were plastered against one another with Keith's thighs wrapped firmly around his midsection, pasty legs crossing at his lower-back as he tried desperately not to think of the fact his hands were now situated on the other's ass. 

Once straightened and standing up fully, the ravenette's body was almost fully out of the water, legs clenching harder to keep a grip while Lance's fingers twitched where they rested. All he knew was that the thighs wrapped around him were strong as hell and the ass in his hands was something he could definitely appreciate. Thankfully the water was cold, or else Keith wouldn't have been the only thing raising up out the water. (<\---A/N: I hate myself for that). 

Zerces began to chirp impatiently, slapping Lance in the leg with her tail and casting him a knowing look. This is what he gets for working with an animal that uses five percent more brain capacity than humans. He gets judged.

"Alright, I'm going to set you on her, try not to make any jerky motions or it could hurt her, she's strong but not strong enough to handle a writhing young adult" He explained, having to talk against the boy's collarbone which was being shoved into is chin, earning a small 'Okay' as warm breath tickled his neck. Yep, he most certainly had to get rid of his cargo before the water stopped working on his impure thoughts.

Carefully, Lance pried one thigh from his waist and hoisted the boy up a little more, making Keith give a strangled noise and slight whimper, heel digging into his spine along with two hands that were accidentally clawing at his wet back, making the Cuban's teeth grind. It's final, he had to get him off now, because the water was suddenly very much warm towards his nether regions and he knows exactly what's happening. 

Shakily, he placed one leg on the opposite side of Zerces, other hand cradling the one leg still in his grasp before moving that one as well, finally being ridden of the succubus in disguise. His entire body felt tingly and alight with flame, sinking lower in the water as more heat pooled within his stomach, watching Zerces tremble happily.

Before Lance could fully recover from the thick sexual tension, a bright smile was flashed his way, hands resting against the sides of the dolphin as he gave a pat, wobbling unsteadily as she gave a small buck, "I've never ridden a dolphin before, actually, I've never ridden anything". The word choice only helped further seal his predicament, trying to summon thoughts of his Abuela to rid of the unwanted bodily reaction, feeling it finally calm down once he remembered the time she kissed him full force on the lips without a care. He still doesn't have the balls to tell people his first kiss on the lips was from his grandma. 

"Well, that changes today" Lance spoke, voice slightly wavering from what happened moments ago, allowing himself to stand up finally. Atticus swam around nearby, just enjoying his time alone, watching as Keith unsteadily tipped sideways once Zerces swam a little fast. Lance began to worry, seeing the mischievous glint behind those beady eyes, wondering what she was up to. Suddenly, she bucked viciously with an apologetic squeal, making Keith slip off and into the deep end of the pool, going under with a sound of surprise. 

"Keith!" Lance yelled, diving underneath the water to see if he was okay, swimming quickly over to where he was flung. From a distance, Keith was clearly panicking, trying to swim back to the surface but only making his descent faster, bubbles emerging from his mouth which was frozen in a silent scream.

He couldn't swim. 

Shit.

Tan arms stroked upwards to the surface, gasping in a deep breath of air before diving back underneath, kicking off with his legs as he swam as quickly as possible towards Keith's sinking form. From nearby, Zerces was trying to push Keith upwards, giving distressed wails once he merely went still and slipped off her back with every try. Atticus was even shrieking, bolting over towards Lance at record speed, grabbing onto his swimming trunks with serrated teeth before pulling him towards the scene, making sad noises.

It was clear in the way the body went limp that Keith was unconscious, having probably inhaled too much water for his own good, hair floating around his head like a dark halo as it caught the light from above. Even when in complete peril he managed to look effortlessly beautiful, lips parted as if he was in a calm slumber. 

Lance grabbed the limp boy by the waist, pulling him flush against his chest as he kicked back towards the surface, lungs burning from the back of oxygen and erratic beat of his heart. Zerces was suddenly at his side, Atticus assuming the other as they gave concerned ticks, pressing against his side as if trying to help him swim, propelling him towards the surface with an extra push. The sweet air once they broke surface was enough to make Lance choke out a gasp, struggling to stay above water with his exhausted muscles, wadding over towards the ramp off the pool before carefully carrying Keith bridal style towards the ground. He had yet to move or even breathe, lips turning a blue color that indicated he needed oxygen, skin turning more of a sickly pale than the previous healthy shade that bloomed into red once flustered. 

"Shit, shit, shit!" Lance breathed, setting the boy down on his back in a comfortable position, immediately dropping to his knees before recalling his CPR training. Quickly, he folded one hand over the other on Keith's chest where he was taught, pushing down and giving a few chest compressions, eyes beginning to go blurry with tears. 

"Come one, I just met you today, I didn't even get to ask for your number" He choked out, counting a total of thirty compressions before going to step two, grabbing the boy's chin lightly as he tilted it back, opening the airways as his other hand pinched his nose shut. Once he successfully checked to see if anything was clocking the airway, he bent down to commence step three, pressing his lips to Keith's as he began breathing. After the first breath he looked down, seeing the boy was still unresponsive, "Shit" Lance cussed again, working on breathing into him a second time. His lips were cold and unmoving, something that scared the employee to no ends.

Once the second breath didn't work, he began doing the chest compressions again, breathing shakily with every hard push until it bordered on a sob. Finally, the chest beneath his hands quivered a small bit, suddenly shaking violently as Keith rolled over and began coughing, water pouring from his lips and onto the floor with weak heaves. Zerces gave an ear splitting shriek as her ticks proceeded in a fast timeframe, almost throwing herself out the pool with excitement. 

Gently, Lance grabbed the Korean and placed him in a recovery position, watching as violet eyes fluttered in and out of sight behind thick eyelashes. Instead of giving a warm welcome to someone who almost died, the employee takes a different route, "Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim, I thought you were going to die! What would I had done if you died Ke-". The speech was put to a halt by a finger to his lips, eyes going cross to look at the appendage in haste, trailing up the arm to gaze into bright eyes and a big smile. "I'm fine" Keith chuckled, breathing a little wonky because of the remaining water in his lungs, looking exhausted yet overly calm for someone who basically died for a few minutes. 

Silence surrounded the area, Lance debating on if he should call 911 just in case, because that was what you were supposed to do after performing CPR, but something else was eating away at him.

"You're cute and I want to get to know you more" Lance suddenly blurted out, blue eyes blazing with a void emotion, watching as Keith's eyes widened and he began coughing yet again. "You almost died and the only thing I could think about was how much fun I had today, and your pretty smile, and how much I wanted to know you more. Of how I possibly would never get to ask for your number or anything. I just met you today and I felt like I was losing a part of me when you were drowning, I know this sounds creepy but-" The Cuban was interrupted by a hand on his cheek, blue eyes flickering up to witness the softest expression he had ever seen someone give, lips quirking into a smile. "I would love that, let's set it up at the coffee shop this weekend down the road from here, that new one that opened up." Keith murmured, almost like he was afraid that if he spoke to loud it would break the soft moment.

From somewhere in the room, the sound of clapping wrenched the both of their attention, swiveling around to see two figures emerge from behind an open door. One of which Lance could make out as Allura, but the other was unfamiliar, a guy with a scar across his nose and black hair that had a shock of white in the front, he looked intimidating until he smiled.

"So Lance, first of all, you failed your CPR test, you don't forget to call an ambulance afterwards, which I have already called in. Second of all, Keith, your brother is here" Allura spoke, looking between the two with clear amusement behind her bright eyes, watching Lance's confusion form into a sour expression. "So you mean to tell me," He began, "you witnessed Keith drowning and me trying to resuscitate him, but yet you and his brother just watched!?", anger began boiling under his skin, simply over the fact that Keith could have died and they did nothing to help. 

Guilt washed over Allura as the other guy sent her a glance, it was apparent something had happened while they were watching. "Well, we walked in just as you broke surface of the water, we didn't really know what was going on until you began performing CPR. Shiro here nearly broke his neck trying to rush in and help his little brother whom was apparently two hours late, I had to restrain him so you could do your procedure without interruption." She explained, mouth twitching downwards at being blamed for something she had no control over, she was just trying to help. 

A heady sigh emerged from the Cuban's mouth, unknowingly grabbing Keith's hand in his own as he ran a thumb over the knuckles in thought, missing the look Shiro was producing. "It's fine Allura, what you did was the right thing. I'm very grateful" He spoke, watching out the corner of his eye as Keith glanced between their connected hands and Shiro as he lectured him with a Dad talk. 

Sounds of sirens outside alerted everyone's attention, probably on their way to shove Keith in a gurney and roll him off to the hospital for a checkup, it was clear he was fine but it was required to do this to make sure no damage was done during the compressions or damage to the lungs. Shiro stood up and began talking with Allura, both adorning a soft smile and slightly brushy face, yeah, something definitely happened before they came here.

"So, I guess our first date is going to be in a hospital" Keith snickered, wheezing a little as a few drops of water clung to his bottom lip from the pool, glistening like jewels. Subconsciously, Lance reached out and swiped his thumb across the plump flesh, keeping it there for a moment as Keith gazed on, stars dancing in his eyes.

"Is it bad that I'm still scared to kiss you even though I just filled your lungs with my Carbon Dioxide" Lance sputtered, choking on the words as he gave a chuckle, hands finally drawing away from the tempting lips. A loud giggle was his response, black hair soggy and wet shaking slightly with the whole body spasms that came with pure laughter, violet eyes meeting his own. "I think we should save that for another time, when we know each other better, I want my first kiss to be special" He explained nervously, making Lance's heart swell with the promise of a future, where they would grow to that point. 

Instead of saying something suave like his normal flirty self, he said something mortifying and completely unintentional, a way he has realized only Keith can make him act. "My first kiss was with my grandma" He sputtered, slapping a hand over his mouth at the confession, glaring as both Shiro and Allura broke into a fit of giggles at the slip-up. 

Instead of earning a disgusted look from his future date, he earned a fond smile of sorts, pure laughter ringing out even as the nurses came in with the blasted gurney and spoke with Allura on what happened. The last thing he heard before being loaded in a separate ambulance than Keith and Shiro, was a remark made by the eldest brother, something that made Lance smile wide. 

"I like him".

That was all the confirmation he needed that this was the beginning of something amazing.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again you can check out part two once finished, it should be up a little while after this. Feel free to comment, I really enjoy reading them!


End file.
